Combined artist&#39;s paint box and easel



Nov. 17',- 1970 T. 5, orm 3,540,787

COMBINED ARTIST'S PAINT BOX AND EASEL Filed Oct. 8, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 6o 46 74 20 m 22 58 54 2a 66 INVENTOR. T o/vms E. FORD HT TORNE'Y Nov. 17, 1970 'r. E. FORD 3,540,787

COMBINED ARTIST'S PAINT BOX AND EASEL Filed Oct. 8, 1969 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

THoMFIs E. FoRD H TTORNE Y NOV. 17, 1970 5, FORD 3,540,787

COMBINED ARTIST'S PAINT BOX AND EASEL Filed Oct. 8, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. T-loMns E, FORD H TT'ORNEY 2x1 Myy United States Patent COMBINED ARTISTS PAINT BOX AND EASEL Thomas E. Ford, 150-24 6th Ave., Whitestone, N.Y. 11354 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 739,872, June 25, 1968. This application Oct. 8, 1969, Ser.

Int. Cl. A47b 27/00, 97/04 US. Cl. 312231 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined artists paint box and easel having a compartmented box body open at the top with a hinged cover for closing the opening therein, the hinged cover serving as an easel when in open position. A sliding cover is provided for the open top of the compartments in the body when the box cover is in open position. The hinged box cover is provided with a perforated peg board adapted to receive and support removable brackets. A radial arm having a downwardly extending spring clip is slidably supported at the top end of the upright slotted rail and cooperates with a pair of spaced wire brackets removably mounted on the perforated peg board for removably supporting a canvas to be painted upon at a slight angle to the vertical. Another radial arm extending in a direction opposite to the direction of the first radial arm is formed with downwardly extending spaced flanges forming a groove therebetween and is supported at the top of the slotted rail. The grooved arm cooperates with a wire radial bracket adjacent each side of the peg board for removably supporting a canvas when the box is being transported. A tripod is removably supported on the box body for supporting the box body in horizontal position. A single telescopic leg is hingedly connected to one end of the slotted rail and when the cover is in open position is adapted to engage the supporting surface for steadying the paint box in erected condition.

This invention relates generally to painting outfits for artists and more particularly to new and useful improvements in a combined artists paint box and easel; and this aplication is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 739,872 filed June 25, 1968.

The general purpose of the invention is to provide an easily portable painting outfit by which the user can carry to the point of use all required facilities and which can be easily and quickly set up for convenient use of the facilities.

Another object is to provide a painting outfit for artists with simple and effective arrangements of the extensible and collapsible parts and with simple means whereby these parts may be securely held in collapsed condition for transportation.

Still another object is to provide a combined paint box and easel which is of reduced bulkhead when closed while being capable of oifering the artist a large useful surface in an operative position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a combined paint box and easel embodying my invention, in open erected position, a canvas being shown in supported position in dot-dash lines.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view as seen from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the combined box and easel in closed condition ready for transportation,

I CC

with collapsed tripod and a pair of canvasses supported thereon, in dot-dash lines.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the parts shown in FIG. 4 as seen from the line 55 of FLIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the parts shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 77 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 88 of FIG. 4.

Referring in detail to the various views of the drawings, in FIG. 1 a combined artists paint box and easel 10 embodying the invention is illustrated in open erected condition. The combined artists paint box and easel comprises a box-like body 12 and a hinged cover 14 connected to each other by a hinged structure 15 (see FIGS. 1 and 8). The box-like body and cover may be made of wood.

The box-like body 12 consists of a bottom wall or base 16, a front wall 18, a rear wall 20 and side walls 22 and a handle 23. The box and easel device is adapted to be detachably mounted on a metal tripod 24 having a thick triangular base 26 with a central opening 28 therein and three sectional legs 30, the leg sections being telescopically arranged and held in adjusted position by set screws 3-1. This detachable mounting includes a wooden block 32 (FIGS. 2 and 8) provided with a central vertical opening 34 in line with the opening in the tripod base 26 and with a hole in the center of the bottom wall 16 of the box-like body. A removable threaded bolt 37 is positioned in the aligned openings in the tripod base, wall 16 and block 32 and the parts are held in position by a wing nut 38 (FIG. 2).

The box-like body 12 has a series of longitudinal partition walls 40 (FIG. 8) intersected by a transverse partition wall 42, defining compartments 44 (FIG. 8) for holding articles used in painting such as tubes of paint and the like. A slidable cover 46 covers the compartments 44. Between the compartments 44 and the side walls of the box-like body, there are compartments for holding other larger articles. Between the rear of the compartments 44 and the rear wall 20 of the box-like body there is a compartment 46 (FIGS. 7 and 8) for detachably holding a tray 48 (FIGS. 3, 7, 8) for holding various painting elements. The tray comprises an elongated rectangular shaped body divided into interior compartments for holding colored pigments.

The hinged cover 14 is box-like in configuration with a peg board 50 forming the base of the cover between the side walls 54, 54 thereof, the side walls joining the front and rear of the cover. The peg board is formed with spaced holes 52 over the entire area thereof. The rear and sides of the cover are adapted to contact with the rear and sides of the box-like body 12 when the cover is in closed condition as shown in FIG. 8.

A block 59 fastened to the rear end edge of each side wall 22 of the box body 12 as seen in FIG. 2 serves as a seat for the cover 14 when the cover is swung to open position as shown in FIG. 2 thus bracing the cover and holding it steady against shaking. A slidable bolt 60 adapted to pass through a metal strap 62 on a side wall 54 of the cover and through an aligned metal strap 66 on the rear of the box-like body holds the cover in erected vertical position as shown in FIG. 2.

Means is provided for removably supporting a canvas or painting 70 and the like in position to be painted upon. For this purpose, a pair of removably wire bracket assemblies 72, 72 is provided close to the bottom of the peg board 50. Each bracket assembly includes an elongated wire body 74 terminating at its ends with an elongated wire 76 welded thereto. The ends of the wires 76 as shown in FIG. 1 are formed with upwardly slanting ends at their opposite ends to engage in the holes of the peg board 50. The wire bodies 74 extend outwardly at right angles to the plane of peg board 50. Each wire body 74 is provided with an upturned end 80 and with a rubber sleeve 78 (FIG. 2) to prevent accidental movement of the supported canvas, when being painted upon.

An elongated metal rail 84 with a closed central slot 86 is slidably mounted across the center of the cover 14 by means of a bolt 88 extending through the slot 86 in the rail 84 and a wing nut 90 on the protruding end of the bolt. A vertically disposed block 92 is mounted on the top end of the rail 84 (FIG. 2) and is formed with an opening therethrough disposed at a slight angle to the horizontal as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. An elongated arm 94 extends through the central opening in the block and protrudes on both sides thereof. The arm 94 is provided with a downwardly extending U-shaped clip 98 at one end thereof. A set screw 100 extending through a vertical socket opening in the top of block 92 engages the arm 94 and holds the arm in adjusted moved position. The spring clip 98 is adapted to receive and seat the outer or top ends (FIG. 2) being painted upon. The bottom end of the canvas 70 is supported on the radiating wire bracket assemblies 72 between the rubber sleeves 78 thereon and the upturned ends 90 thereof as shown in FIG. 2. The bracket assemblies may be mounted in any desired pair of holes in the peg board 50 in order to support various sizes of canvasses in a position slightly inclined to the vertical as shown in FIG. 2.

Means is provided for supporting a pair of diflerent sized canvasses during transportation. For example, a large canvas 102 and a smaller canvas 104 are shown in FIGS. 4 and 8 in supported condition. An integral arm 106 is formed on the block 92 extending in a direction opposite to the direction of arm 94. Arm 106 is formed with a downwardly extending flange 108 on the outer end thereof and with another downwardly extending flange 110 inwardly thereof to provide a groove 112 between the flanges. A pair of wire brackets 114, 114 is adapted to be removably mounted in the holes in peg board 50 and to protrude outwardly thereof. The wire brackets are formed with upstanding angular ends 116-. The other ends of the brackets 114 are welded to cross wires 117 having hooked ends extending through the holes in peg board 50 and secured removably thereto.

The larger canvas 102 is adapted to have its bottom end seated on the brackets 114 and its top end fitted in the groove 112 of arm 106 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8. The smaller canvas 104 is adapted to have its bottom end seated on the brackets 114 and its top end impinging against a threaded bolt 118 extending through the slot 86 in rail 84. The bolt 118 has a rectangular shaped nut 120 at one end to hold in place the top edge of the frame of canvas 102 and has a circular nut 122 on its other end to secure the parts tightly to the rail 84 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 8.

An important feature of the invention is the use and arrangement of a single tubular support member 124 for supporting the paint box and easel and canvas in steady erected condition. This supporting member is an elongated metal sectional tube, the sections of which are held in moved adjusted position by set screws 126. The upper end of the tube as viewed inFIG. 2 is hingedly fastened to one side of the slotted rail 84 as shown by a bolt 130 so that it moves up and down with the rail 84. A wing nut 132 on the bolt holds the parts secured. The tube is disposed centrally of the paint box.

The tube 124 and the slotted rail 84 may be moved up and down as a unit to hold a canvas of up to 40 in height.

A metal spring clip 134 is fastened to one of the sides of the rail 84 for holding the tube 124 in place during transportation of the box and easel. (See FIG. 5.)

A pair of curved Wire brackets 136 have one end removably seated in openings in the base 16 of box body 4 12 for supporting the tripod 24 when in collapsed condition for transporting as best shown in FIG. 4.

In use, the tripod 24 is erected on a supporting surface and the combined paint box and easel placed on top of the base 26 thereof with the bolt 52 passing through the aligned openings in the base 26, bottom wall 16 of the box-like body and block 32 in the body. The wing nut 38 is placed on the inner end of the bolt to hold the box and easel on the tripod. The cover 14 is opened and the tubular supporting member 124 is swung outwardly and downwardly to the supporting surface. The cover is supported at a slight slant to the vertical and serves as an easel. The perforated peg board coacting with the wire brackets 72 and arm 94 provide a very fine adjustment for supporting various sizes of canvas and the like for painting upon, in adjusted position.

I claim:

1. A combined artists paint box and easel comprising a shallow box-like body open at the top with compartments therein for holding paint for painting upon articles, a hinged cover for closing the open top of the box-like body, said cover having a perforated pegboard serving as a base, an elongated rail slidably mounted in upright position on the cover when the cover is in open position, a block mounted in upright position on the top of the rail, a tripod for supporting the box-like body, means of connection between the tripod and box-like body and a sectional, adjustable, telescopic tube hinged to the rail adjacent the top thereof when the box body is in open position, said hinged point adapted to be moved to a position above the top of the box cover when in upright open position so as to steady the canvas being painted upon.

2. A combined artists paint box and easel as defined in claim 1 wherein the box-like body is formed with a central hole in the bottom thereof, said means of connection comprising a block in a compartment, of the box-like body, said block having a central hole in line with the hole in the bottom of the body, the tripod having a base with a central hole therethrough aligned with the holes in the bottom wall and block, a bolt extending through the aligned holes and a wing nut on the top of the bolt.

3. A combined artists paint box and easel as defined in claim 1 and a block mounted in upright position on the rail, a radial arm slidably carried by the block, a downwardly extending U-shaped clip extending downwardly from the outer free end of the arm, and wire brackets removably supported in the perforations at the bottom of the pegboard, said clip and wire brackets cooperating to support removably a canvas therebetween for painting thereupon.

4. A combined artists paint box and easel as defined in claim 3 and another radial arm fixed on the block, said other arm having a downwardly extending flange at the free end thereof, a second downwardly extending flange on the arm spaced inwardly of the first flange, said flanges defining a groove therebetween, and wire brackets removably supported in the perforations at the bottom of the pegboard, said groove and wire brackets cooperating to support removably a canvas therebetween during transportation of the device.

5. A combined artists paint box and easel as defined in claim 1 wherein the rail is slotted and the mounting of the rail on the cover includes spaced holes in the bottom of the box-like body and removably curved wire brackets in the holes for removably carrying the tripod when collapsed.

6. A combined artists paint box and easel as defined in claim 3 and rubber sleeve-s on the wire brackets for preventing sliding movement of the canvas while painting thereupon.

7. A combined artists paint box and easel as defined in claim 4 wherein the rail is slotted, and a threaded bolt extending through the slot in the rail and radially thereof, a rectangular shaped nut on the end of the bolt at one side of the rail, said nut and wire brackets at the bottom of the pegboard cooperating for holding a canvas in supported position therebetween, and a circular nut on the other end of the bolt.

8. A combined paint box and easel as defined in claim 1 and a metal spring clip fastened to one side of the elongated rail for holding the telescopic tube in collapsed condition during transportation.

9. A combined paint box and easel as defined in claim 1 wherein the telescopic tube and elongated rail are 1 References Cited 0 CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner is swung to open position preventing shaking of the cover. 15

US. Cl. X.R. 

